Safety system for engines



April 25, 1944. E. STELLINGWERF SAFETY SYSTEM FOR ENGINES Filed Jan. 17, 1942 4 {NVENTOR BY 5 Az' zi' Patented Apr. 25, 1944 UNITED srArss rarer 'oFFlc SAFETY srs'i' rtlifzln ENGINES Application January 17, 1942, Serial No. 427,208

7 Claims.

My invention pertains .principally to internal combustion engines and the electrical systems of the same.

An object of my invention is to provide safety devices and arrangements in combination with such engines so that in the event that the oil circulation of the engine ceases to operate, the engine will be automatically stopped.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby accidental closing of the ignition circuit will not drain the battery of the circuit.

A further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement wherein the safety device will not disconnect the lights of a vehicle to which the arrangement is attached when the vehicle is traveling, in order to prevent undue danger during such conditions.

A further object of my invention is to "provide an emergency control arrangement wherein,

after the safety device has functioned, the

emergency control can be applied for a comparatively short period of time during the desired conditions.

A further object of my invention is to provide all of these combined safety features in a unit mechanism which is positive in operation and requires very few mechanical connections.

A further object of my invention is to provide all. of the above features in. a simple arrangement which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a detailed view of the arrangement with portions thereof being taken in cross section,

Figure 2 isa detail, and

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical connections.

I have used the character In to designate a cylindrical casing having the top wall I I, a lower wall l2, and side wall l3. Attached to the top with H are th insulating bushings I4 in which are attached the contact members I5 which contact members are attached to the leads 16. Also attached in tight relation to the upper wall H is the expansible diaphragm H whichis of the bellows type. Attached at the bottom of the diaphragm I1 is a spring H to which is attached the insulating strip l9, and attached across the strip I9 is the contact bar 20.

A bracket 2| is attached to the casing Ill to support the unit, and communicating with the casing I0 is a further opening 22 which is provided in the angularly positioned shoulder 23 and .pivoted at 24 is a small flap 25 which ineludes an opening 26 therein. Covering the flap 25 is the protecting housing 21 which includes the larger openings 28 therein. The flap 25 includes a suitable gasket at the bottom thereof. Communicating with the casing 10 is a further reduced diameter chamber 28 in which is peripherally sealed an expansible diaphragm 30 upon which rests the insulating member 3i, and attached to the member 36 is the contact bar 32.

At the top of the chamber 28 is attached the in-' sulating wall 33 in which is attached the contact prongs 3S to which are attached the leads 3%: which leads pass through-the casing and are sealed at this point. The insulating wall includes the central opening 36 therein. Communicating with the chamber 29 is the tube 3i which communicates with the oil circulating pump 38 or to any portion of the circulating line.

A further tube 353 communicates through the upper wall ii of the casing it] and is attached to the small housing 4t to which is pivoted at ii a flap valve 62 which includes the small opening it therein and which flap valve rests upon the annular shoulder t6. Communicating with the top of the housing 4b is a further tube 35 which communicates with the intake 36 of the engine and the booster pump 4'1] thereof, and the tube it": can communicate with either one of these members or both.

Communicating with the tube 39 at 48 is a further tube is which communicates at 50 with the hollow casing 5! which includes the substantially conical shaped members 52 and 53 tightly joined at 55. Peripherally attached at 54 is a stretchable diaphragm 55 which bears against the compression spring 59 and also bearing against the diaphragm 55 is the cylindrical plunger 5'! which is slidably'received within the neck 58 which forms a continuation of the sides 53. The neck 58 includes the flanges 59 which provide attachment to the dashboard 60 of the vehicle.

The plunger 5i includes the emergency indicating means such as 58 thereon. The electrical circuit of the arrangement is shown in Fig. 3 wherein the character 6| indicates the battery, the character 62 the light switch, the character 63 the ignition switch, the character the lighting circuit, and the character 65 the distributor in the ignition circuit. It will be noted that the contact member 32 is in series with. the contact member 20. Now that the structure of my device has been explained I shall now explain the operation thereof.

Normally, when there is no condition for emergency use, the plunger 51 is in its outermost position, and not in its inwardly compressed position as shown in Fig. 1. The oil pump 38 of course,

always maintains the oil pressure in the tube 21 when the engine is properly lubricating. However, in the event that the pump does not force oil through the tube 37, which in itself means that the engine is not receiving lubrication, the diaphragm 36 will not be forced into its upward position as shown in Fig. l, and will be in a collapsed position, with the contact bar 32 thereby breaking the ignition circuit as shown by the wiring diagram, and the battery will thereforefail to sup- 1 ply the proper ignition to the plugs and therefore the engine will cease to operate.

However when the engine is running, the intake member 66 or the booster pump l'l in applying suction to the tubes 39 and 65 will cause the flap valve 62 to open upwardly the suction of which is sufllcient to collapse the bellows member H, or

,"to carry the bottom of the bellows member upwardly so that the bar 2E3 makes contact across the prongs it. However in spite of the fact that the connection is made at this point, since the lower bar 32' is in series therewith, the ignition will cease to operate and the motor will stop. This then, prevents undue eroding and unlubricated wear of the pistons against the cylinder walls, thereby preventing deterioration of the en- For a further condition, assuming that the automobile is in the garage and the motor is not running or pumping oil, and it is desired to use the lights of the Vehicle, the plunger member at is then employed. in this case the face of the plunger is pressed inwardly, carrying the plunger into the position as shown in Fig. 1 thereby forcing the diaphragm 55 and spring 56 inwardly, wherein theair in the casing 55 will be forced downwardly through the tube 439 and upwardly through the tube 39 opening the valve 32.

Next the valve 62 will fall to its natural position, thereby creating a partial vacuum within the bellows H, the suction effect of which will draw the contact 2t upwardly against the contacts 65 with the bellows ill then being in a compressed or collapsed position. The normal posi tion of the bellows is shown in Fig. l or in its expanded condition, and the walls thereof have sumcient resiliency in order to maintain it in expanded position during normal conditions of pressure on both sides of the bellows.

This causes the lights to operate, and it will be noted that the small opening d9 will cause the air to be drawn slowly downwardly back into the bellows ll until the normal pressure is'then inside of the bellows with relation to the outside, and the contact bar 20 will break away from the prongs l5, thereby breaking the circuit. then provides an emergency means for supplying lights for a short duration of time, assumingof course that the light switch 42 has also been operated. I

A further eilect is also obtained by means of the emergency arrangement, in closing the ignition circuit at the same time as the light circuit is applied. This feature is important,especially in those cases wherein after the ignition circuit has been brok en through absence of oil pressure, it is desired to run the vehicle to a garage or location where the oil supply can be replenished or the mechanism repaired.

This I For this effect, the. operation efiecting the bar it of course occurs at the same time as explained above, and when the bellows ll collapses, the reduction in volume thereof will correspondingly can then be operated for a short period of time until the air entering through the small opening 2b of the valve 25 reestablishes a normal pressure inside of the casing it.

It will be noted that the opening 36 permits the partial vacuum to operate on the diaphragm 3b. The spring it insures that the bellows H can collapse to a rather substantial degree and return to open position and still maintain the contact 2@ for the maximum interval. The valve 25 is pivoted as shown, so that at a certain point in the downward travel of the bellows ll it will allow the air in the chamber it to escape a little more rapidly, however up to this point the vacuum in .the chamber it will assist in keeping the valve 26 in closed position.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that even it the ignition contact switch at E8 is accidentally left on, the battery cannot drain inasmuch as the oil pressure is not then applied when the engine is not running since the contact bar 32 will not contact the prongs 36. Similarly the light switch 62 if left on will not allow the lights, to operate since if the engine is not running the bar 2t] will not allow the circuit to close inasmuch as contact is not established across the prongs it.

It will therefore now be seen from the foregoing that I have provided all the objectives contemplated in my invention with other advantages being readily apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a source of pressure and an electrical circuit, diaphragm means for breaking the electrical circuit when the'source of pressure is not operating, including a pair of contacts in said electricalcircuit, a contact bar for bridging said contacts, said contact bar being attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control for bridging said contacts upon failure of the source of pressure,'said emergency control adapted to provide a partial vacuum above the diaphragm.

2. In combination with a'source of pressure and an electrical circuit, diaphragm means for breaking the electrical circuit when the source of pressure is not. operating, including a pair of contacts in said electrical circuit, a. contact bar for bridging said contacts, said contact bar being attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control 'cating with said bellows,

contacts in said electrical circuit, a contact bar for bridging said contacts, said contact bar being attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control for bridging said contacts upon failure of the source of pressure, said emergency control adapted to provide a partial vacuum above the diaphragm,-said emergencycontrol including a chamber, an expansible bellows within said chamber, a tube communicating with said bellows, a further chamber communicating with said tube and including a stretchable diaphragm therein whereby release of said diaphragm after pressure thereagainst will cause a vacuum to be formed in said bellows, the collapsion of which will form a partial vacuum in said chamber, means for forcing said stretchable diaphragm including a, plunger member engaged ,thereagainst.

4. In combination with the source of pressure and an electrical circuit, diaphragm means for breaking the electrical :circuit when the source of pressure is not operating, includin a pair of contacts in said electrical circuit, a contact bar for bridging, said contacts, said contact bar being attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control for bridging said contacts upon failure of the source of pressure, said emergency control adapted to providez-a partial vacuum above the diaphragm, said emergency control including achamber, an expansible bellows within said chamber, a tube communicating with said bellows, a further chamber'communicating with said tube and including a cstretchable diaphragm.

therein whereby releaserof said diaphragm after pressure thereagainst willcause a vacuum to be formed in said bellows, the collapsion of which will form a partial vacuumin said chamber, means for forcing said stretchable diaphragm including a plunger member engaged thereagainst, a further tube communicating with said tubeincluding an upwardly opening valve, said further tube communicatingwith a'source of suctube communicating with a source of suction, said valve having a small opening therein, said chamber including an outwardly opening valve member having a small opening therein to provide a partial vacuum in said chamber during certain time limits.

6. In combination with a source of pressure and an electrical circuit, diaphragm means for breaking the electrical circuit when the source of pressure is not operating, including a pair of contacts in said electrical circuit, a contact bar for bridging said contacts, said contact bar be-- ing attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control for bridging said contacts upon failure of the source of pressure, said' emergency control adapted to provide a partial vacuum above the diaphragm, said emergency control including a chamber, an expansible bellows within said chamber, a tube communicating with said bellows, a further chamber communicating with said tube and including a stretchable diaphragm therein whereby release of said diaphragm after pressure thereagainst will cause a vacuum to be formed in said bellows, the collapsion of which will form a partial vacuum in said chamber, means for forcing said stretchable diaphragm including a plunger member engaged thereagainst, a further tube communicating with said tube including an upwardly opening valve, said further tube communicating with a source of suction, said valve having a small opening therein, said chamber including an outwardly opening valve member having a small opening therein to provide a partial vacuum in said chamber during certain time limits, the opening in said upwardly opening tube valve providing further means of pressure is not operating, including a pair tion, said valve having a small-opening therein.

5.'I n combination with a source ofpressu're and ran electrical circuit, diaphragm means for breaking the electrical circuit when the source of pressure is not operating, including a pair of contacts in said electrical circuit, acontact bar for bridging said contacts, said vcontact'bar being attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control for :bridging said contacts 1113011. 1ffli1l118 of the source "of pressure, said emergency control adapted -.to provide a. partial vacuum above the diaphragm, s'aid-semergency control including a chambenan-expansible bellows withinsaid chamber, a tube .-:communicating with said rbellows, a. further rehamberzcommunicating with said tube and including 1a :stretchable diaphragm therein whereby release ,of said diaphragm after pressure thereagainst will cause a vacuum to be formed in said ibellows, the collapsion of which will form a partial vacuum in said chamber, means for forcing said stretchable diaphragmineluding a plunger member engaged thereagainst, a'rurther tube communicating with said tube including an upwardly :opening valve, said further of contacts in said electrical circuit, a contact bar for bridging said contacts, said contact bar being attached to the diaphragm, an emergency control 'for bridging said contacts upon failure of the source of pressure, said emergency control adapted to provide a partial vacuum above the diaphragm, said emergency control including a chamber, an expansible bellows within said chamber, a tube communicating with said beljlows, ,a further chamber communicating with said tube and including a stretchable diaphragm therein whereby release of said diaphragm after pressure thereagainst will cause a vacuum to be formed ;'in said bellows, the collapsion of which will form a partial vacuum in said chamber, means ffOI forcing said stretchable diaphragm including a ,plunger member engaged thereagainst,

a further ztube communicating with said tube including an upwardly openin valve, said further Ltube communicating with a source of suction, said 

